Advertising sign



Nov. 26, 1929.

E. c. ccwzzu; 1,737,076

ADVERTISING SIGN Filed Feb. 20, 1929 INVENTOR .E. C. Cowell ATTORN EY Patented Nov. 26, 1929 ADVERTISING SIGN Application filed February 20, 1929. Serial No. 341,290.

This invention relates to advertising devices and particularly to one of that character in which a number of the diiferent advertising signs or placards are mounted in a window case or cabinet and successively and endlessly moved past the window.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a structure of this general nature in which the placard carrying elements are so arranged and mounted in connection with. the

driving mechanism that a considerable number of such elements and placards may be employed, while maintaining the same in a very compact space transversely. This enables the structure to be mounted on a street against a store front or similar location, without the device projecting so far out on the sidewalk as to be in the way of pedestrian traffic.

A further object of the invention is to pro g0 vide driving mechanism for the placard carrying elements of such a nature and so arranged that there is nothing to get out of order.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my advertising sign structure.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of an endless chain showing a supporting and direction changroller associated therewith, and a placard carrying plate mounted thereon.

Fig. 4- is a fragmentary perspective view of a chain showing the connection of one of the placard carrying plates therewith.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes in general the enclosing casing or cabinet of the structure, the front of which is in the form of an opaque door 2 to at the top, a relatively high combination door 3, and a solid panel 4; at the bottom. A horizontal support 5 for the operating motor 6 is slidably mounted in the top of the cabinet and is removable when the upper door is opened; this motordriving a horizontal shaft 7 which extends parallel to the front of the cabinet and is mounted on the support 5, by worm gearing 8 or the like. A fan 6 is mounted on the end of the motor shaft opposite the worm and faces the back of the cabinet, so as to circulate air about the motor from the outside through anopening in the back of the cabinet.

Mount-ed in the cabinet space below the support 5 and disposed adjacent the opposite sides thereof are endless chains 9 of common character, arranged in the form of a number of vertical transversely spaced runs. The front run of each chain is disposed adjacent the window, passing about supporting and guide rollers 10 atthe top and about similar rollers 11 at the bottom; these rollers being disposed so as to be respectively above and below the window 3. Between the front and the back of the cabinet the chains pass over a number of upper and lower direction changing rollers 12 and 13 respectively to form the desired number of runs, and finally pass about rollers 14: adjacent the back of the cabinet and near the level of the top rollers 10 to the top of said rollers. One of said lower rollers 13 of each chain is mounted on a slide block 15 to which a spring 16 is attached so that any slack in the chain is automatically taken up. The upper surfaces of the chains between the upper rollers 10 and 14 are connected in driving relation with each other by sprocket wheels 17 mounted on a horizontal shaft 18. The upper surface of one of these sprocket wheels is engaged by an endless chain 19, one end of which passes about a sprocket wheel 20 fixed on the shaft 7. It is to be understood that all the rollers are mounted on stub spindles, the shaft 18 which is above the chains being the only one which is continuous from side to side of the cabinet.

Extending between corresponding links of the chains at evenly spaced intervals throughout the length thereof are rods 21, which are preferably formed as extensions of the respective link pins. These rods swingingly support depending rectangular plates 22 having top and bottom forwardly turned flanges 28 to enable sign placards 24 of standard size being slid endwise into place adjacent the plates and there held against displacement. Spacers 25 on the rods between the plates and the chains maintain the side edges of the plates sufliciently spaced from said chains so that there is no possibility of their catching with each other. The plates are of such height relative to the spacing between adjacent supporting rods 21 that the bottom of one plate just easily clears the top of the adjacent plate below. By reason of the arrangement above described the plates move up or down. adjacent thewindow in a continuous row with the forward runs of the chains (depending on the direction of driving of said chains) and when at the top or bottomof said run the plates pass about the different direction changing rollers without interference until with the movement of said chains they again arriye at the window.

The rollers 1 2 intermediate the front and back runs are spaced below the upper rollers 10 and let so as not to interfere with the transverse and downward movement of the plates from the rollers lO to the rollers 14f; while the lower rollers. 11' are spaced sufficiently fromthe bottom of the cabinet so that the plates 22 clear said bottom when passing about said rollers. This is necessary since the plates always hang straight down regarc lessof the direction of flexing of the chain about the rollers. Also the topand bottom rollers are located relative to the top and bottom of thewindow so that the shifting of the plates transversely of the cabinet is never seen from the outside, but only a straight and vertically alined row ofplates appears by looking into the window. The bottom of the window therefore is just above the lower rol lers but the top of the window is below the upper rollers 10 approximately the height ofany plate.

Itwill be'evident that the length of chain (which determines the number of (plates) which can be mounted in the cabinet of a certain height and depth, depends on the number of runs which can be effectively used, since the plates a'reno-tliicker than the links ofthe chain and the runs of the latter may be placed as close together as desired, the sole limitation bein the size of rollers which it is practicable to use. At the sa'metini'e the runs may be separated if desired suiiici'ently toenable the placards and plates to be cutout and actual merchandise supported in the cutout area, as when advertising groceries and the like. This is feasible as there is nothing in the mechanism of the structure to interfere with the freedom of movement of such articles upand down with the chains provided that the transverse space between the supporting plates is sufiicient to clear each other.

In order to change any placard, it is only necessary to open the window, operate the driving mechanism if necessary until the particular placard directly faces the window, and remove the same by sliding said placard out endwise from between the supporting flanges of its plate, or the plate itself, (with the placard still mounted thereon) may be removed from its supporting rod by raising the plate so that its top flange clears the rod. This plate is then replaced by one having another placard thereon.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An advertising structure including spaced endless driven chains, arranged in the form of a plurality of vertical and transversely spaced runs, top direction changing rollers for the front and backruns of the chains and between which said chains extend direct, bottom and intermediate direction changing rollers about which the chainspass between said front and back runs, and sign supporting plates supported by and suspended between the corresponding runs of the chains; the vertical spacing between the top and intermediate rollers being greater than the depth of the individual plates.

2; An advertising structure including spaced endless chains, arranged in the form of a plurality of vertical and transversely spaced runs, top direction changing rollers for the front and back runs of the chains and between which said chains extend direct, sign supporting plates supported by and suspended between the corresponding runs of the chains; sprocket wheels engaging the upper surfaces of both chains between the rollers, a shaft on which both said wheeas are fixed, and a driven chain engaging the uppermost teeth of one of the sprocket wheels.

3. A structure as in claim 1, with a chamber above therollers and into which the driven chain projects, and a driving motor mounted insaid chamber and operatively connected to said chain. y

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

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